Harle (Chrono Series)
Harle (ツクヨミ Tsukuyomi?) is a mysterious harlequin aiding Lynx in Chrono Cross. Harle speaks with an interlanguage called , which is a blend of English and French, similar to Pierre. In her vocabulary of French words, she most often uses the words "moi" and "oui". Unlike Pierre, Harle uses French phrases, such as Je m'appelle (''my name is / I am ''called). Appearance Harle bears a strong resemblance to Kid in facial and physical features. She also shares the same fortune as given by the Fortune Teller of Termina. Many attribute this to the fact that if the Dragon God were to create a human being, the closest set of genetics would be Schala trapped within the Time Devourer. Kid and Harle could thus conceivably come from Schala's genotype. Story Created in the year 1006 A.D., Harle is the enigmatic seventh Dragon from the 81st Dimension. Controlled by the will of the Time Devourer and housed in Chronopolis, the Dragon God is tended to by the citizens of the city. Her birth occurs during the magnetic storm that temporarily flatlines the power sources of Chronopolis, which allows the Dragon God to create a life form that could go undetected and act as an agent in El Nido. When created, she bears the resemblance of an eighteen-year-old girl, dressed in colorful garments resembling those typically worn by clowns. From her inception, Harle is ordered to retrieve the Frozen Flame and return it to the Dragon God; to this end, she befriends Lynx, feigning obedience to his cause when her loyalties lie elsewhere. In the year 1015 A.D., she accompanies him to Lucca's house, where they start a fire and abduct Lucca in hopes of disengaging the Prometheus Circuit, which protects the Frozen Flame. When this effort fails, Harle and Lynx decide to wait for Serge to cross dimensions and retrieve the Flame for them. Biding her time until she can execute her plan, Harle takes up residence in Viper Manor's parlor. Serge finds her sleeping on a sofa while infiltrating the Manor in search of the Flame. In the year 1020 A.D., she meets Serge for the first time, flirtatiously teasing him. This angers Kid, who has developed romantic feelings for him. Harle's feelings for Serge also deepen into genuine affection, and she displays it several times -- even going so far as to warn him against entering Fort Dragonia to hunt down Lynx. Before this event, she resides on Hermit's Hideaway, having burned the tree-stump cottage of Radius, betrayer of the Acacia Dragoons in which Harle serves as a spy for the Dragon God, under the guise of a faithful member. Should Serge seek the man, hoping to find Lynx's whereabouts, she will engage him in battle, fleeing before being seriously wounded. After Serge adopts Lynx's body through the power of the Dragon Tear, Harle personally helps him exit the Temporal Vortex and regain his footing in the world, putting several philosophical questions concerning reality to him to make him ponder the recent turn of events. Harle soon becomes despondent, as any relationship with Serge would be precluded by her mission to retrieve the Frozen Flame. As time continues, this becomes too painful for her; after the party's visit to the Pearly Gates, she cries aboard the S.S. Invincible, torn between her mission and her now-sincere romantic feelings. Though Starky ponders why she is sad, she soon leaves the party, waiting to seize the Frozen Flame. When at last Serge reaches Chronopolis, she reappears to prevent Kid from obtaining the Flame and allow the Dragon God enough time to fuse with the other Dragons and claim it. As the Dragon God arrives, she bids Serge farewell and presumably disappears into the newly reformed monstrosity. Trivia * Harle is a condensed form of Harlequin, a jester or clown-like figure, which corresponds to her character appearance. * Tsukuyomi, Harle's Japanese name, is the god of the moon in Shinto and Japanese mythology. This is fitting considering Harle's true identity as the Dark Moon Dragon. * Harle is likely (somewhat) inspired by the Franglish-speaking character "Conductor 71", from the 1946 movie "A Matter of Life and Death". Category:Chrono